The Lonely Soul
by mariahjoparker
Summary: What if Mel's mom was murdered when she was 10 and her mother's death caused a downfall in her relationship with her father and siblings? What if she left her family to go to New York to follow her dreams but got a call from a relative saying her dad is dying and to go and see him before she lost the chance and in the process of saying goodbye she fell in love with an old friend?
1. The Phone Call

_**I do not own Ghost Whisperer or any of its characters but if I did there would still be a show and Jim would have never died. I do however own Lindsay and Carl and all of their story lines.**_

_**The Lonely Soul**_

_**Chapter 1  
The Phone Call**_

_***Melinda's Point of View***_

I walk into my loft apartment in the outskirts of the bustling Manhattan, New York. I drop my keys in the dish by my door as I close it and flip the lights on and see my big yet empty home. I turn and look at the time on my stove as my stomach growls viscously at me. I see that it is 8:30 pm.

"Time for food," I say as I open my fridge and see the variety of take-out and leftovers from this week. My eye spots some left over Mexican food and I grab the container and look at the food and open the microwave to heat it up. "I guess I am having Mexican tonight."

I enter 1 minute and 45 seconds on the timer as I grab a glass off the shelve and press on the ice on my fridge door and fill my glass and then put water in it and grab my food out of the microwave and sit at the island in the middle of my kitchen to eat as I open a folder and look at my designs I sketched today. I grab the last one that I haven't finished yet as I take a bite of my enchilada and grab one of my pens and begin to draw a leopard print handbag to match the design I had already started to sketch. I am just beginning to add some color onto the bag as the ring of my cellphone startles me.

"Now that is just a phone." I say to myself as I put both my pencil and fork down and reach for my Galaxy S4 that I had just got the other week and slide my hand in front of it to answer the unknown call. "Hello?"  
"Melinda Gordon?" A man's voice asks.  
"Yes this is she." I say confused. "May I ask who is speaking?"  
"This is Jimmy Jackson." He says. "I'm a good friend of your father, who is Paul Gordon, I assume?"  
"Yes that is my father but we haven't spoken in a while." I say getting concerned. "Is there something wrong?"  
"Yes your father is in stage 4 of lung cancer." He says sadly.  
"Oh my God." I say starting to tear up a little. "He's dying?"  
"Yes he is slowly dying but the doctors have only given him 6 more weeks to live they say." He says starting to cry himself. "If I were you I would come and see him before his time runs out. He really misses you and wants to make amends."  
"I will try my best to get there but I don't know if he wants to see me." I say remembering the fight we had 6 years earlier. "The last time we spoke he said he never wanted to see me again. So I left as fast as I could and we haven't talked since."  
"Well that was 6 years ago and you were only 18." He says.  
"Yes I was only 18 and I had to live on my own and get my degree in the thing I love and still love to do and now I am 24 and starting my career slowly but surely and you call and now I am supposed to just show up and act like nothing happened?" I say beginning to grow angrier and angrier with each word. "I don't know if I can do that but I might show up, you never know."

I hang up the phone and set it on the surface under me and quickly finish my food and close the folder and put it in my purse and throw away the plastic container and grab my phone and walk towards the bathroom and close the door and begin pulling clothes off as I get in the shower and clean my body and hair up nicely and then wrap myself in warm and fluffy purple towel and then wrap my hair on a grey towel and grab my phone and walk out of the bathroom and into my bedroom and sit on the bed and dial my bosses number.

"Carla?" I ask.  
"Melinda?" She asks.  
"Yes this is Melinda Gordon. I need to take some personal time off but I was wondering if it was okay?" I ask hoping she would say yes.  
"May I ask the reason, Melinda?" She asks concerned.  
"My father; he is sick with cancer and is dying and I need to go and see him for a week or so." I say beginning to tear up.  
"Oh I am very sorry but why haven't told me this before, Melinda?" She asks.  
"I just got a phone call from one of my dads' friends telling me to come and see him before I lose the chance. He only has 6 or so weeks to live."  
"Oh Melinda I feel so sorry for you." She says kindly. "You can take as long as you need and it will be a paid leave too but just call me when you're coming back. I may need you to do some things while you're away so keep an eye out in your inbox my dear."  
"I will and thank you so much, Carla. I don't know I could ever thank you." I say softly into the phone.  
"There is no need to thank me but I must go. So goodbye Melinda and have a safe flight or drive." She's says.  
"Thank you and goodnight to you as well." I say and hang up my phone.

I grab my laptop and pull up first-class tickets to Seattle. I see that there are 3 first-class seats available for a purchase of 150 dollars a piece on a flight to Seattle with a 10:30 am departure time.

I sigh deeply and look down from the computer screen and look at a picture of me and my dad and older twin brothers and older sister at my graduation 6 years earlier.

"I hope you are right, Jimmy…" I say as I click purchase and begin to enter my information in the payment section. "I hope you are right."

_**Chapter 2  
Traveling Home**_

_***Melinda's Point of View***_

Ring.

Ring.

"Ugh… Not now…" I moan reaching for my phone and missing multiple times.

Ring.

"Ugh…" I moan again and sit up. "I'm up. I'm up."

I reach for my phone and press off on my alarm and see that it is 9 am.

"I have to finish packing!" I say running into my closet and picking some outfits out and putting them neatly into my grey and purple suitcase. "Okay just a few more things." I run into my bathroom and grab my hair care, toothpaste, and toothbrush. I go back into my room and put them in my plastic bag and into my suitcase.

I look into the mirror and see my tan and slim body in a pair of bra and panties with messy curly dark brown hair; my piercing brown eyes; and as I see my pierced belly button I laugh at the sight and know that my dad would have been so pissed at me if he ever saw it but I have always kind of been a rebel. Well I have always been one since my mom died. My dad has always been so protective over me and wanted me to follow in his and my mom's footsteps. He always wanted me to be a detective just like him and my mom. That's how they met; my mom was assigned to be his partner after going through the police academy. She was murdered when she was on her way home from the cake store. She was getting a cake for my birthday that she had picked out as a surprise; the cake was still in her car when she died. I stopped celebrating my birthday after that; I don't think I will ever celebrate my birthday again.

I walk into my closet and throw a pair of skinny jeans and a grey zip-up hoodie on my body and throw my hair up into a messy bun and put a pair of sandals on as I zip up my suitcase and pull it into the living room and grab my car keys and purse and laptop case and grab my suitcase and head out the door and into the elevator. I enter the apartment complex lobby and check my mail slot and see that I have no recent mail and then walk out of the lobby and towards my car. I then open the trunk of my black Toyota Camri and put my suitcase and carry on in it; shut the trunk; unlock the doors; get in the driver's seat; and put my keys in ignition as I set my purse on the passenger side of my car, I then put the car in drive. That is when I check to see the time.

"9:35. Damn, I'm running late." I say as I pull out of my apartment complexes parking lot and take a left turn onto the highway towards the New York City Airport. "I have to get there by 10 or I will never board the plane in time."

I pull into the airport parking lot and see that the time is 9:50.

"Thank God I got here before 10." I park my car, grab my purse and keys, pop my trunk, grab my suitcase and carry on, and start walking towards the airport. I walk up to the ticket purchase and pick-up and get my ticket and walk through the security tracker. I am let through to the waiting area and I sit down and look through a few texts from my best friend Lindsay who is in Seattle on a vacation with her boyfriend Carl. I see that it is 10:15 am.

"Hey Lindsay. I'm just about to board my plane." I text to her.  
"Oh good. I need to hang out with my best friend." She texts back.  
"Oh so I am guessing you miss me?" I ask.  
"Yes I miss you. I miss my lover." She texts making me laugh.  
"Oh I'm your lover now?" I text back with a smile as thy call my plane number to board.  
"Yes and I miss you so bad." She says.  
"Well that is great and I need to go and board my plane." I say and grab my carry on and suitcase and make my way to the hallway before I enter the plane.  
"Okay. Love you!" She replies.  
"Yeah, yeah. Feel free to go back to having sex with Carl now." I say and hand the flight attendant my ticket and she hands it back to me.  
"Ha-ha. Thanks for your permission, Mel." She texts back.  
"Anytime, Linds." I text back as I shut my phone off and board the plane. I put my suitcase in the cabinet above my seat and sit in the window seat that I purchased the night prior.

I look out the window and I see the airport waiting room which was once barely full and is now packed with people. I smile as an old woman with a carry on sits next to me.

"Hello my dear." She says.  
"Hi." I say and turn to her with a smile.  
"My name is MaryAnn. What's yours?" She asks.  
"Melinda. My name is Melinda." I say looking into her piercing hazel eyes.  
"That is a very beautiful name." She says and pulls a book out of her carry on.  
"Aww thank you. My mother picked it out." I say and think of my mother for a second.  
"Well mother's always have the best decision." She asks. "Don't they?"  
"Yes they do." I say and pull my book out of my carry on and it is the same book as hers. The book was Save Haven. "Great minds think alike."  
"Oh yes this is such a great book." She says and points at the book. "Are you close with her?"  
"With who?' I ask.  
"Your mother?" She ask curiously.  
"Umm I was…" I say quietly and turn my head back and look out the window as the plane starts to move.  
"Are you not close to her anymore?" She asks.  
"She was murdered when I was 10, but before we were like this." I say crossing my fingers and looking back at her with a watery smile.  
"Oh I am so sorry." She says with a look of sadness on her face. "A young girl needs a mother when growing up."  
"Yes. It's hard to have just a father who doesn't really understand you." I say opening my book to chapter 11.  
"Yeah I guess." She says opening her book too. "Well I am going to read for a bit and then we can chat later my dear."  
"Yes, maybe we can even compare our thoughts on the book as it seem to look like you are on chapter 11 too." I say pointing at our book.  
"That sounds like a deal." She says holding her hand out for a shake.  
"Deal." I say shaking her hand as I turn my attention to the book and the plane flies through the air swiftly towards Seattle, Washington.

My home. Well my old home. New York City is my home now.

_**Chapter 3  
Home Sweet Home**_

"Melinda?" MaryAnn asks quietly.  
"Hmm?" I say slowly starting to wake up. "Yeah?"  
"We are about to land in Seattle." She says as I am fully awake now.  
"Oh thank you for waking me up." I say and sit up from my position of lying on my side.  
"You're very welcome." She says and puts her book in her carry on.  
"So did you finish the book?" I ask.  
"No but I got to chapter 14." She says. "How far are you?"  
"I go to chapter 12." I say and put my bookmark in my book. "I must have fallen asleep while reading."  
"Yeah you did look tired." She says as we land on the ground.  
"Oh well it is nice to be awake now and my hand is asleep still." I say as I move it around to wake it up.  
"Oh I hate it when that happens." She says as people start to exit the plane and she stands up with her carry on. "I guess this goodbye my dear."  
"Yes I guess this is." I say as I stand up and then she hugs me. "Goodbye MaryAnn."  
"Goodbye Melinda." She says and leaves the plane.

I open the compartment above where I sat and grab my suitcase as I begin to walk off with it and my carry on which has my purse, book, and phone inside it. I walk down the hallway and enter the waiting room and I see Lindsay and Carl.

"Melinda!" Lindsay screams and runs towards me.  
"Lindsay!" I say and hug her as she is no in front of me.  
"I missed you so much!" She said. "God you look amazing!"  
"Thanks Linds. So do you." I say as Carl comes up and hugs me.  
"It's nice to see you Mel." He says and grabs my bags.  
"Yes it is and thank you Carl." I say as we all begin to walk out of the airport.  
"No need." He says with a smile.  
"So Melinda what should we do first?" She asks.  
"How about food?" I ask as my stomach growls a bit.  
"Okay what kind?" She asks as we walk out of the airport.  
"Umm pizza sounds good." I say as Cal puts my bags in his car.  
"Okay we will go to Sammy's. They have the best pizza ever!" She says as we both sit and the back and Carl turns on the car and begins to drive away.  
"Okay that sounds good." I say as we leave the airport parking lot.  
"So how have you been?" She asks.  
"Well you have only been gone a couple of weeks." I say looking at her with a sarcastic smile.  
"Yes and I have missed you so much and I can't wait to come home and be with you at work every day." She says.  
"Yes being the head designers for the company is the best isn't?" I ask and laugh as we pull into Sammy's parking.  
"Yeah. I still can't believe Carla let you come here." She says and gets out of the car and I get out behind her.  
"Yeah I'm here for a couple of weeks because my dad is dying." I say and look at her. "Ring a bell?"  
"Yeah, you told me on the phone the night before you came here." She says as we walk into the restaurant. "Okay now are we going to drink?"  
"You two can. I will only have pop." Carl says.  
"So you're our designated driver?" I ask with a look of pure joy on my face.  
"Yes I am." He says.  
"Well good luck. I might start making out with her like I did last time." I say with a laugh.  
"Yeah now that was funny." He says as we sit at a table.  
"Yeah it was." Lindsay says as she orders a margarita.  
"And you?" The waiter asks me.  
"I'll take a Bloody Mary." I say and he nods and leaves to get our drink.  
"A Bloody Mary, Melinda, really?" She asks.  
"It's my favorite alcoholic drink." I say with a smile as the waiter put it in front of me and I take a sip.  
"Yeah, I know." She says and smiles as she takes a sip of her burban.  
"Okay are you ready?" The waiter asks us.  
"Yes we will have a Gyro pizza and a Ceaser salad." Carl says.  
"What size salad?" The waiter asks us. "We have a small, medium, and a large."  
"Medium?" Carl asks us.  
Lindsay and I both nod.  
"We will take a medium salad." Carl says to the waiter.  
"Okay I will bring your food in about 25 minutes." The waiter says and leaves to put our order in.  
we all nod and I take another drink of my Bloody Mary and finish it.  
"Seriously Mel?" Lindsay asks. "You already finished it?"  
"I am going to be in for a rough couple of weeks." I say looking at her as I order another one.  
"Yeah your sister and brothers are detectives now and they all hate you with a passion." Lindsay says as I take a sip of my new drink.  
"Yeah I thought they would be detectives. They just want to be on Daddy's good side." I say and take another sip. "That's why they all hate me because I am doing something I actually want to do. I never wanted to be a cop or a detective like my mom and dad and my mom understood that. My dad didn't. My mom always told me to go after what I dream of doing, not what others wanted."  
"Yeah your mom was smart like that. Your dad just wanted to keep you close, and you were all he had left of your mother besides your siblings. And they don't really look like her. When I look at you it's like looking in a mirror of your mother." Lindsay says and puts a hand over my hand.  
"Yeah I know Lindsay." I say looking at her and smiling a bit.  
"Okay here's your food." The waiter says and puts the salad down on the table. "I'll be back with your pizza in a couple of minutes."  
"Okay thank you." We all say and we start to put salad on out plates.  
"Okay time to eat." I say and take a bite of my salad.  
"Mmmm their salad is delicious." Carl says starting to eat her food.  
"Yes it is." Lindsay and I both say as we both begin to eat too. 


	2. Trveling Home

**_Chapter 2  
Traveling Home_**

**_*Melinda's Point of View*_**

Ring.

Ring.

"Ugh… Not now…" I moan reaching for my phone and missing multiple times.

Ring.

"Ugh…" I moan again and sit up. "I'm up. I'm up."

I reach for my phone and press off on my alarm and see that it is 9 am.

"I have to finish packing!" I say running into my closet and picking some outfits out and putting them neatly into my grey and purple suitcase. "Okay just a few more things." I run into my bathroom and grab my hair care, toothpaste, and toothbrush. I go back into my room and put them in my plastic bag and into my suitcase.

I look into the mirror and see my tan and slim body in a pair of bra and panties with messy curly dark brown hair; my piercing brown eyes; and as I see my pierced belly button I laugh at the sight and know that my dad would have been so pissed at me if he ever saw it but I have always kind of been a rebel. Well I have always been one since my mom died. My dad has always been so protective over me and wanted me to follow in his and my mom's footsteps. He always wanted me to be a detective just like him and my mom. That's how they met; my mom was assigned to be his partner after going through the police academy. She was murdered when she was on her way home from the cake store. She was getting a cake for my birthday that she had picked out as a surprise; the cake was still in her car when she died. I stopped celebrating my birthday after that; I don't think I will ever celebrate my birthday again.

I walk into my closet and throw a pair of skinny jeans and a grey zip-up hoodie on my body and throw my hair up into a messy bun and put a pair of sandals on as I zip up my suitcase and pull it into the living room and grab my car keys and purse and laptop case and grab my suitcase and head out the door and into the elevator. I enter the apartment complex lobby and check my mail slot and see that I have no recent mail and then walk out of the lobby and towards my car. I then open the trunk of my black Toyota Camri and put my suitcase and carry on in it; shut the trunk; unlock the doors; get in the driver's seat; and put my keys in ignition as I set my purse on the passenger side of my car, I then put the car in drive. That is when I check to see the time.

"9:35. Damn, I'm running late." I say as I pull out of my apartment complexes parking lot and take a left turn onto the highway towards the New York City Airport. "I have to get there by 10 or I will never board the plane in time."

I pull into the airport parking lot and see that the time is 9:50.

"Thank God I got here before 10." I park my car, grab my purse and keys, pop my trunk, grab my suitcase and carry on, and start walking towards the airport. I walk up to the ticket purchase and pick-up and get my ticket and walk through the security tracker. I am let through to the waiting area and I sit down and look through a few texts from my best friend Lindsay who is in Seattle on a vacation with her boyfriend Carl. I see that it is 10:15 am.

"Hey Lindsay. I'm just about to board my plane." I text to her.  
"Oh good. I need to hang out with my best friend." She texts back.  
"Oh so I am guessing you miss me?" I ask.  
"Yes I miss you. I miss my lover." She texts making me laugh.  
"Oh I'm your lover now?" I text back with a smile as thy call my plane number to board.  
"Yes and I miss you so bad." She says.  
"Well that is great and I need to go and board my plane." I say and grab my carry on and suitcase and make my way to the hallway before I enter the plane.  
"Okay. Love you!" She replies.  
"Yeah, yeah. Feel free to go back to having sex with Carl now." I say and hand the flight attendant my ticket and she hands it back to me.  
"Ha-ha. Thanks for your permission, Mel." She texts back.  
"Anytime, Linds." I text back as I shut my phone off and board the plane. I put my suitcase in the cabinet above my seat and sit in the window seat that I purchased the night prior.

I look out the window and I see the airport waiting room which was once barely full and is now packed with people. I smile as an old woman with a carry on sits next to me.

"Hello my dear." She says.  
"Hi." I say and turn to her with a smile.  
"My name is MaryAnn. What's yours?" She asks.  
"Melinda. My name is Melinda." I say looking into her piercing hazel eyes.  
"That is a very beautiful name." She says and pulls a book out of her carry on.  
"Aww thank you. My mother picked it out." I say and think of my mother for a second.  
"Well mother's always have the best decision." She asks. "Don't they?"  
"Yes they do." I say and pull my book out of my carry on and it is the same book as hers. The book was Save Haven. "Great minds think alike."  
"Oh yes this is such a great book." She says and points at the book. "Are you close with her?"  
"With who?' I ask.  
"Your mother?" She ask curiously.  
"Umm I was…" I say quietly and turn my head back and look out the window as the plane starts to move.  
"Are you not close to her anymore?" She asks.  
"She was murdered when I was 10, but before we were like this." I say crossing my fingers and looking back at her with a watery smile.  
"Oh I am so sorry." She says with a look of sadness on her face. "A young girl needs a mother when growing up."  
"Yes. It's hard to have just a father who doesn't really understand you." I say opening my book to chapter 11.  
"Yeah I guess." She says opening her book too. "Well I am going to read for a bit and then we can chat later my dear."  
"Yes, maybe we can even compare our thoughts on the book as it seem to look like you are on chapter 11 too." I say pointing at our book.  
"That sounds like a deal." She says holding her hand out for a shake.  
"Deal." I say shaking her hand as I turn my attention to the book and the plane flies through the air swiftly towards Seattle, Washington.

My home. Well my old home. New York City is my home now.


	3. Home Sweet Home

**_Chapter 3  
Home Sweet Home_**

"Melinda?" MaryAnn asks quietly.  
"Hmm?" I say slowly starting to wake up. "Yeah?"  
"We are about to land in Seattle." She says as I am fully awake now.  
"Oh thank you for waking me up." I say and sit up from my position of lying on my side.  
"You're very welcome." She says and puts her book in her carry on.  
"So did you finish the book?" I ask.  
"No but I got to chapter 14." She says. "How far are you?"  
"I go to chapter 12." I say and put my bookmark in my book. "I must have fallen asleep while reading."  
"Yeah you did look tired." She says as we land on the ground.  
"Oh well it is nice to be awake now and my hand is asleep still." I say as I move it around to wake it up.  
"Oh I hate it when that happens." She says as people start to exit the plane and she stands up with her carry on. "I guess this goodbye my dear."  
"Yes I guess this is." I say as I stand up and then she hugs me. "Goodbye MaryAnn."  
"Goodbye Melinda." She says and leaves the plane.

I open the compartment above where I sat and grab my suitcase as I begin to walk off with it and my carry on which has my purse, book, and phone inside it. I walk down the hallway and enter the waiting room and I see Lindsay and Carl.

"Melinda!" Lindsay screams and runs towards me.  
"Lindsay!" I say and hug her as she is no in front of me.  
"I missed you so much!" She said. "God you look amazing!"  
"Thanks Linds. So do you." I say as Carl comes up and hugs me.  
"It's nice to see you Mel." He says and grabs my bags.  
"Yes it is and thank you Carl." I say as we all begin to walk out of the airport.  
"No need." He says with a smile.  
"So Melinda what should we do first?" She asks.  
"How about food?" I ask as my stomach growls a bit.  
"Okay what kind?" She asks as we walk out of the airport.  
"Umm pizza sounds good." I say as Cal puts my bags in his car.  
"Okay we will go to Sammy's. They have the best pizza ever!" She says as we both sit and the back and Carl turns on the car and begins to drive away.  
"Okay that sounds good." I say as we leave the airport parking lot.  
"So how have you been?" She asks.  
"Well you have only been gone a couple of weeks." I say looking at her with a sarcastic smile.  
"Yes and I have missed you so much and I can't wait to come home and be with you at work every day." She says.  
"Yes being the head designers for the company is the best isn't?" I ask and laugh as we pull into Sammy's parking.  
"Yeah. I still can't believe Carla let you come here." She says and gets out of the car and I get out behind her.  
"Yeah I'm here for a couple of weeks because my dad is dying." I say and look at her. "Ring a bell?"  
"Yeah, you told me on the phone the night before you came here." She says as we walk into the restaurant. "Okay now are we going to drink?"  
"You two can. I will only have pop." Carl says.  
"So you're our designated driver?" I ask with a look of pure joy on my face.  
"Yes I am." He says.  
"Well good luck. I might start making out with her like I did last time." I say with a laugh.  
"Yeah now that was funny." He says as we sit at a table.  
"Yeah it was." Lindsay says as she orders a margarita.  
"And you?" The waiter asks me.  
"I'll take a Bloody Mary." I say and he nods and leaves to get our drink.  
"A Bloody Mary, Melinda, really?" She asks.  
"It's my favorite alcoholic drink." I say with a smile as the waiter put it in front of me and I take a sip.  
"Yeah, I know." She says and smiles as she takes a sip of her burban.  
"Okay are you ready?" The waiter asks us.  
"Yes we will have a Gyro pizza and a Ceaser salad." Carl says.  
"What size salad?" The waiter asks us. "We have a small, medium, and a large."  
"Medium?" Carl asks us.  
Lindsay and I both nod.  
"We will take a medium salad." Carl says to the waiter.  
"Okay I will bring your food in about 25 minutes." The waiter says and leaves to put our order in.  
we all nod and I take another drink of my Bloody Mary and finish it.  
"Seriously Mel?" Lindsay asks. "You already finished it?"  
"I am going to be in for a rough couple of weeks." I say looking at her as I order another one.  
"Yeah your sister and brothers are detectives now and they all hate you with a passion." Lindsay says as I take a sip of my new drink.  
"Yeah I thought they would be detectives. They just want to be on Daddy's good side." I say and take another sip. "That's why they all hate me because I am doing something I actually want to do. I never wanted to be a cop or a detective like my mom and dad and my mom understood that. My dad didn't. My mom always told me to go after what I dream of doing, not what others wanted."  
"Yeah your mom was smart like that. Your dad just wanted to keep you close, and you were all he had left of your mother besides your siblings. And they don't really look like her. When I look at you it's like looking in a mirror of your mother." Lindsay says and puts a hand over my hand.  
"Yeah I know Lindsay." I say looking at her and smiling a bit.  
"Okay here's your food." The waiter says and puts the salad down on the table. "I'll be back with your pizza in a couple of minutes."  
"Okay thank you." We all say and we start to put salad on out plates.  
"Okay time to eat." I say and take a bite of my salad.  
"Mmmm their salad is delicious." Carl says starting to eat her food.  
"Yes it is." Lindsay and I both say as we both begin to eat too.  
"So where are we going after this?" I ask with salad in my mouth.  
"How about to go and see your father?" Lindsay ask and I gave her a look.  
"Not yet. I can't deal with them quite yet." I say taking another sip of my drink.  
"How about some shopping and then a movie?" Carl asked.  
"Okay and if it isn't too late we can go see my dad after that." I say looking at them both.  
"Okay. That sounds good." Lindsay said.  
"What movie shall we see girls?" Carl asked as the pizza was put on our table.  
"Hmm how about Man of Steel?" Lindsay asked.  
"Nah I already saw it. How about We're the Millers?" I ask with a comedic look on my face.  
"That sounds like a movie I would like. Sex, drugs, and Jennifer Aniston." Carl says with a smile.  
"I knew you would bite on it Carl." I say laughing as I grab a slice of pizza. "How about you Linds?"  
"I have wanted to see that for like forever." Lindsay says and her face lights up a bit as she takes a bite of her pizza.

**_*Two hours later we walk out of the movie theater and it is 5:30 pm*_**

"That was a funny movie." I say as I look at Carl. "What did you think Carl?"  
"I still can't believe that you guys went shopping for 2 hours and then sat in a movie." He says in shock.  
"Oh we can go shopping for up to 16 hours. If you don't like shopping for long periods then don't go with us on Black Friday." Lindsay says with a chuckle as we walk towards the car.  
"Yeah. I second that." I say and follow Lindsay; leaving Carl walking slowly behind us.  
"Do you want to go and see your dad tonight or wait until tomorrow?" Lindsay asks me and Carl walks up and wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her forehead.  
"I want to see him today." I say as I get in the backseat with Lindsay.  
"You nervous?" She asks me.  
"Of course I am. I haven't talked to him or my siblings in 6 years." I say and start to tear up. "I'm scared they aren't going to love me anymore."  
"They're your family. They have to love you." She says.  
"Yeah that doesn't make me feel any better." I say looking at her.  
"Okay Carl. Go to 628 Maple Grove Road." Lindsay orders.  
"Why?" Carl asks.  
"That's where Mel's dad lives." She said.  
"And it is where I grew up." I say looking out the window as I watch the car drive past things I haven't drove past in years.

I see the Fabric store that I had a part-time job in when I was 15 until I graduated. I've always been into clothes and fashion since I was a little girl. I see the car dealership where my dad bought me my first car when I was 16. I see Lindsay's old house. I see Andrea's old house and Jim's too. Then I see mine.

"What are you waiting for?" Lindsay asked.  
"Sorry I zoned out for a second." I say open the door and close it.

I begin to walk up the sidewalk when I see the tire swing that I used to swing on with Lindsay, Andrea, and Jim. I have always had a crush on Jim but I never told him. I almost did at Prom. Neither one of us had dates; so we went together as friends. I kissed him that night and he kissed me back but after that we were never the same. We became distant after a while. Then I left and we didn't keep in touch so I don't know where he is anymore.

I am in front of the door when I take a deep breath and knock twice.  
No one answers.  
I knock a few more times when I hear footsteps and someone holler that they were coming.  
It was my dad. He opened the door.

"Hello?" He asked.  
"Daddy?" I ask looking at him. "Is that you?"


	4. Daddy's Little Girl?

**_Chapter 4  
Daddy's Little Girl?_**

**_*Melinda's Point of View*_**

"Hello?" He asked.  
"Daddy?" I ask looking at him. "Is that you?"  
"Melinda?" He asked looking at me like I was a ghost. "For a second I thought that you were…"  
"Mom?" I ask looking at him as I see Riley walking down the stairs.  
"Yeah." He says smiling a little.  
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Riley asks folding her arms and standing in front of my dad.  
"I came to see dad." I say looking at her.  
"Well none of us want to see you, so you wasted a trip here." She says getting in my face. "No one here wants you here and no one here cares about you."  
"That's not true." My dad says.  
"What do you mean daddy?" She asks.  
"I told your Uncle Jimmy to call her since I knew she wouldn't probably answer my calls and I didn't know her knew number and he did." He says.  
"Well if you let her in here I will leave." She says folding her arms.  
"Well then you should go and pack your bags, Riley." He says walking towards me and holding his arms out for a hug. "I'm sorry for everything honey. I overreacted. I love you and I want to start over with you."  
"You do?" I ask starting to tear up.  
"Yes. I shouldn't have tried to push you into something you didn't want to do. Your mother always wanted you kids to do what you loved to do and fashion was what you loved and you know that this isn't the fashion capital of the world."  
"Yeah…" I say giggling a little.  
"Yeah and you living wherever you are living is for the best as long as you come and visit." He says letting me out of his tight embrace. "God you look even more beautiful than when I saw you last."  
"Yeah, I guess I have been taking better care of my face more and the acne cleared up. My hair is darker and longer and I slimed down a bit and got muscle." I say as he kisses my cheek.  
"Yeah you look just like how your mother did when I met her." He says tearing up. "Do you have a place to stay?"  
"Yes I'm staying with Lindsay and Carl." I say.  
"Good." Riley mumbles.  
"Okay so I am dying to catch up with you." He says looking at his watch. "How about we go out for a lunch date at your favorite place tomorrow at around noon?"  
"That sounds great." I say hugging him.  
"Okay so do you want to meet me there or do I need to pick you up?" He asks.  
"Umm you would probably need to pick me up." I say rubbing up my arms a few times.  
"You cold?" He asks touching my forearm.  
"Yeah a bit chilly." I say looking at him.  
"Okay I'll pick you up. Just call me and give me the address in the morning when you wake up." He says giving me a slip of paper with his cell number.  
"Okay daddy." I say and hug him again. "I love you."  
"I love you too, baby girl." He says kissing my forehead.  
"Bye daddy." I say walking towards Lindsay's car.  
"Bye baby." He says going inside with Riley.  
"So as of how Riley's emotions were, she didn't want you there." Lindsay says as I shut the door.  
"Yeah she hates me with a passion." I say as I buckle myself in.  
"Buckled?" Carl asks.  
"Yep." I say.  
"Okay." He says putting the car into drive and driving away.  
"How about your dad?" She asks.  
"He is taking me out to lunch at Charlie's tomorrow." I say with a smile.  
"Aww your favorite." She says hugging me.  
"Yeah and my mom's…" I mumble.  
"I heard that." She said as we pulled up at a nice house.  
"Yeah I know." I say as I get out of the car and see a man walk out of the house. "You're sharing the house with someone."  
"Yeah an old friend of us." She says pulling my bags out of the trunk.  
"Who?" I ask turning around and seeing his face.  
"Mel…" Jim says and pulls me into a hug.  
"Jim…" I say surprised as he hugs me tightly.


End file.
